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This inspiring memoir recounts the life of a courageous woman born in Brooklyn to parents of modest income yet rich in social justice values. 

From New York to Seattle and eventually back to New York as a single mom, she earns a PhD in social welfare and goes on to receive the admiration and respect from her colleagues in academia and local government. 

eBook and print versions available

An Extraordinary Woman.

An Extraordinary Memoir.

Ruth Brandwein

RUTH BRANDWEIN is Professor and Dean Emeritus at Stony Brook University. She has taught social policy at four universities, including holding an Endowed Chair at the University of Utah. She is the author of Battered Women, Children and Welfare Reform: The Ties That Bind, has published over 50 scholarly publications and received the National Achievement Award from the National Association of Social Workers. Ruth has been a tireless advocate for legislation concerning women, children and social justice at the local, state and national levels. She earned a PhD in social welfare from Brandeis University, a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Brooklyn College. Ruth is the proud mother of two, and grandmother of four adult grandchildren. 

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Pursuing Justice:
One woman's life of rebellion, resistance, and reslience 

eBook and print versions available

This extraordinary memoir recounts the life of a woman born in Brooklyn to parents imbued with social justice values. The story begins when she is forced to flee New York with an infant and three-year old to escape an abusive spouse. Going underground, she flies to Seattle where she knows no one. Overcoming fear and showing staunch resilience, she gets a job of community organizing in a predominately Black community while pursuing a Masters degree and raising her children alone. She becomes involved in the civil rights and anti-war movements, then moves to Boston to get her PhD. 

Burdened with poverty, the rigors of academic demands and maintaining her growing family test her internal strength. She connects with a feminist community where members collaborate on researching single-parent families. She fights against sexism in higher education while motivating students to apply social justice values in their professional lives. She struggles to balance parenting with her professional life and relationships with men.

After finding who she believes to be her life partner, he succumbed to AIDS. Moving on with her life, she struggles as a dean of a social welfare school with tenured male faculty who try to undermine her. Again, she is resilient and becomes a national and international leader in feminist social welfare. The book concludes with her retirement, where she continues legislative advocacy for social change and justice. 

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Reviews

“What an amazing read! In this beautiful memoir Brandwein shares emotional abuse, difficult personal relationships, health scares, sexism in the social work profession, and emerges stronger at every turn. Her professional evolution over a 50-year career recounts a critical thread in social work with an emphasis on social justice, social policy and informed activism. Her narrative makes it clear how much she learned from her own life and how her story is built on empathy and resilience. The life lessons woven through should be absorbed and practiced by all.” 

RUTH MESSINGER 
Social Justice Consultant, Former Manhattan Borough President

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  • Thu, Jan 23
    Sarasota
    Jan 23, 2025, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
    Sarasota, 1951 N Honore Ave, Sarasota, FL 34235, USA
    Jan 23, 2025, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
    Sarasota, 1951 N Honore Ave, Sarasota, FL 34235, USA
    Come join me for a talk and signing of my memoir "Pursuing Justice - One woman’s life of rebellion, resistance, and resilience."
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